The present invention relates to a drive system, and more specifically relates to a drive system which is capable of moving a rotatable moving body to discretionary positions and rotating the same.
Conventionally, many types of drive systems have existed. Some of them were disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 63-191533, U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,032, No. 3,422,538 and No. 4,171,657, German Patent No. DE-36 28 202A, and European Patent No. EP-265-855-A. All of them are capable of moving one moving body to discretionary positions in a plane. Tools for machining, instruments for inspection or measurement, work to be machined, robot-heads, etc. can be attached to the moving body and are moved to prescribed positions for machining, etc.
Those conventional drive systems, however, have the following disadvantages.
The conventional drive systems have enough function for moving their moving bodies in a plane but attitude of the moving body cannot be changed because rods, which are extended in X-Y directions, pierce through the moving body. Therefore, in case of, for example, machining at an inclining place, assembling parts at an inclining position, etc., an extra mechanism for inclining tools, robot-heads, etc. must be attached to the moving body. With this extra mechanism, structure of the machine including the drive system should be complex, and manufacturing cost of the machine should be increased.